New Ford GT Sets a Top Speed Magic Number of 216 MPH

The reborn Ford GT will bring a top speed of 216 MPH to tracks around the world when well-heeled buyers take delivery this year.

In previous coverage of the Ford GT on these virtual pages, we had to leave a few details in the ether — promising to present the most important stats for any supercar. We now have the key official top speed number from Ford’s engineers.

During recent tests at Calabogie Motorsports Park in Canada, the Ford GT hit the highest ever speed for any Ford production vehicle in history — a 216 mph. That’s an impressive number for any car employing a turbocharged six cylinder engine.

Ford engineer’s credit the GT’s power-to-weight ratio and its active suspension system for that speed figure. The Ford GT uses an active dynamic systems to give any driver optimum downforce, drag and balance.

To prove credentials of its newest supercar, Ford decided to pit the vehicle against two of its established rivals — the legendary McLaren 675LT and the Ferrari 458 Speciale. Under the same conditions and using the same driver, the lap times were:

Ford GT: 2:09.8

McLaren 675LT: 2:10.8

Ferrari 458 Speciale: 2:12.9

In addition to its top speed numbers, Ford reported official horsepower numbers of 647 hp and 550 lb.-ft. of torque. It employs a 3.5-liter, V6 engine producing 90 percent of its peak torque from 3,500 rpm.

Ford extended the ordering period for interested GT buyers when the automaker found itself turning prospective owners away. Delivers are set to begin this Spring.